Improvement in heels for boots and shoes



J'. M. WHITING. Heel for Boots and Shoes.

No. 217,309. Patented July 8,1879.

WITNESSES; '-l'N\/E NTOR2 UNITED STATES PATENT OEEToE.

JAMES M. WHITING, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HISRIGHT TO THOMAS C. HENNESSEY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,309, dated July 8,1879; application filed May 17, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. WHITING, of the city and county ofProvidence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Boot and Shoe Heels; and I hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawin gs, forming part of thisspecification.

This invention has reference to improvements in boot and shoe heels, inwhich a metal shell is secured to the boot or shoe and the wearing-tapis secured to the metal shell; and consists in the peculiar constructionof the tap and the manner of securing the same, as will be more fullyset forth hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved boot and shoe heel. Fig. 2is a seetional view of the same, showing the manner of securing the tapwithin the metal shell.

In the drawings, a is the metal shell, provided with the plate I),perforated with holes, through which it is secured by nails to the bootor shoe. 0 is the tap, made preferably of hard vulcanized orpartly-vulcanized rubber. d is an elastic rubber or other spring,bearing against the pins 6 e. The shell a is provided with holes, intowhiclnthe pins 0 0 enter.

When the tap is to be inserted, one of the pins 0 is passed into itscorresponding hole.

The other pin is now pressed against the spring, and as soon as the pinis opposite the corresponding hole in the shell a, the spring (I forcesthe pin into the hole and the tap is firmly secured. By pushing the pinat either end or at both ends within the shell the tap may be readilyremoved, and if the taps wear unequally they can be exchanged or newones inserted.

The tap can be cheaply made, and gives a firm bearing to the heel, whilethe material is sufficiently elastic to give some spring to the heel.

When walking is dangerous on account of ice, the ice-pad is providedwiththe pointed steel spikes f, secured within the tap 0 when the same ispressed in the mold. It can be readily substituted for the plain tap,and all danger from slipping avoided.

These heels can be cheaply made, firmly secured, new taps readilysubstituted for worn taps, or ice-creeping taps for plain taps, and thetaps of opposite boots or shoes can be readily exchanged. They aresimple in construction, can be put on without tools, are noiseless, andagreeable in walking.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination, with the shell a, provided withthe perforated plate b, of the tap 0, provided with the pins 0 6,passing through the holes in the shell, and the spring d, arrangedsubstantially as described.

2. The combination,'with the shella, provided with the plate 1),arranged to secure the shell to the boot or shoe, of the tap 0, havingthe spring (I, secured to the shell by the pins 6 e, and provided withthe pointed spikesff, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES M. WHITING.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH A. MILLER, J OSEPH A. MILLER, Jr.

